By Meghan McCarthy
Editor’s Note: This article is part of the Disability and Dementia series, an ongoing project highlighting the experiences of individuals with intellectual disabilities who are living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
[Beauty in Neurodiversity]
Beauty in Neurodiversity, a painting featured in the Disability and Dementia series at the Penn Memory Center, invites viewers to see the brain not simply as a singular vessel of function or decline, but as a vibrant canvas of individuality. Painted in a cubist style of repeating shapes and patterns, this piece reimagines brain anatomy through bold colors and fluid, overlapping forms. It mirrors both the complexity and beauty of neurodiverse experiences.
While neurodiversity is often associated with intellectual and developmental disabilities, its scope is universal. We all think, feel, and perceive differently. In those differences lies our collective strength. This work honors that truth, offering a visual tribute to the creativity, resilience, and ingenuity found not only disability but also the many lived experiences of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRDs).
Disability advocate Neil Marcus once said, “Disability is not a brave struggle or courage in the face of adversity. Disability is an art. It’s an ingenious way to live.” This painting takes that message to heart, using art to expand the way we view cognition, identity, and possibility. In embracing neurodiversity, we don’t just witness difference, we celebrate it.
Beauty in Neurodiversity is an acrylic-on-canvas painting by Meghan McCarthy.